Popular post-impressionist figurative painter - wife of abstract artist Roger Hilton
Rose Hilton was one of England's finest figurative artists, who spent much of her time living and teaching in Cornwall. Born in Kent, she attended the Royal College of Art and later married Roger Hilton the progressive abstract artist who blazed a trail for European abstraction during the 1950's to 1970's.
Rose and Roger moved to Cornwall during the 1960's and immersed themselves in the artistic community known as the St Ives school - fellow artists included Patrick Heron and Brian Ingham (both Yorkshire born), Terry Frost (teacher at Leeds College of Art), Peter Lanyon, John Wells, Bryan Wynter and many others.
It is 20 years since Rose Hilton held her first one-woman show at Messum's, a respected art gallery based on Cork Street in London. Her final major exhibition 'Rose Hilton - New Paintings' was held there in June 2018. For so long, Rose was in the shadow of her talented but difficult husband; Roger was 20 years her senior and latterly bedridden due to the long-term effects of alcohol. Only of late, Rose is finally achieving the recognition she deserves.
1949-1953 Beckenham Art School
1953-1957 Royal College of Art
2008 Tate St. Ives, The Beauty of Ordinary Things, Selected Retrospective
Awards
Royal College of Art in London, winning the Life Drawing and Painting prize
Abbey Minor Scholarship to Rome
